After the summer's controversy - and subsequent ministerial U-turn - over an algorithm downgrading exam results that had been predicted by teachers, steps are being taken to "boost fairness " for next year's A-levels and GCSEs in England. To make up for the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Department for Education says grading will be more generous than usual. Students will get advance notice of some topic areas, "back-up" exams in July will cater for pupils who had to miss sittings through illness or isolation, while aids such as formula sheets will cut down on the memorising required for some tests.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insists it is "so important" exams take place next summer. However, with students facing "unprecedented disruption", the measures should give them "the clarity and confidence they need to achieve every success", he adds. Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton says it's "a reasonable package" to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and would make exams "as fair as they can be in the circumstances".

After the announcement the UK's first Covid-19 vaccines would be administered next week, you can find all you need to know on our dedicated coronavirus pages. Here are some of the highlights:

Doctors may have placed "do not resuscitate" orders on patients without consent when services were under extreme pressure during the pandemic's first wave, the care watchdog says. There were 40 complaints about such orders between March and September, compared with nine in the previous six months, says the Care Quality Commission. One carer reported an on-call doctor saying if a care home resident were to catch Covid-19, an order would automatically be put in place. Only 5% to 10% of those resuscitated outside hospital survive and it can cause punctured lungs and fractured ribs. But an NHS spokeswoman says clinicians had repeatedly been told blanket use of the orders is "totally unacceptable".

Tabloid headlines offer reaction to the news the first coronavirus vaccinations will begin next week. "What a shot in the arm for Britain," says the Daily Mail, while the Metro borrows from wartime language by declaring "V-day!" The Daily Mirror uses a photo of a lorry leaving a Pfizer site in Belgium, saying the truck is carrying vaccines to the UK. "On its way," is the headline. "Form an elderly queue," says the Daily Star, referring to the government's priorities to vaccinate care home residents and the over-80s. It mocks up a photo of the prime minister as stone-age cartoon character Fred Flintstone, yelling: "Jabba Dabba Doo!"

If you feel like getting away from it all, you might take inspiration from the couple moving to the remote Scottish island of Rum, despite only ever having seen it via Google. Or read why Foals keyboardist Edwin Congrave never wants to set foot on an aeroplane again . And business reporter Justin Harper investigates whether supply-chain delays raise questions about whether Santa will have enough bikes to go round on Christmas Day.

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